Rider injured after horse collapses during show at state fair Coliseum

John Berrry / The Post-StandardClouds greet an exhibitor walking into the New York State Fair on opening day. A man was injured when a horse fell on him during an exhibition.

Story by staff writers Sarah Moses and Douglass Dowty.

Geddes, NY -- About a hundred people watched a horse fall on top of a man this afternoon in the State Fair's Coliseum during the Plantation Walking Horse Show, fair officials said.

A horse unexpectedly flopped over, causing its rider to fall off, said Roger Cabic, a steward for the horse show. The horse then landed on the man.

Cabic called it a "freak accident."

A Rural/Metro ambulance drove onto the field after the accident around 1 p.m. and took the man, in his 50s, to Crouse Hospital, said Rural/Metro spokeswoman Melissa Fleischmann. The extent of his injuries was not immediately known, though they did not appear to be life-threatening.

Dozens of people gathered to watch the show and saw the episode. After the ambulance left, the show resumed.